Project LOKI ③

Chapter 36: From the Ashes II

"She was tied up in bed!"

"Or she was already dead even before the fire had started." Loki stopped at the headboard of the bed and looked at me. "In other words..."

"She was murdered," I finished. "At may iisang tao lamang na makakagawa no'n. Her live-in partner."

Napatingin ako sa sala kung saan posibleng nagsimula ang apoy. "This fire was meant to cover up what he did to his live-in partner. He intentionally started it. Murder then arson."

"If someone's body was burned in a fire, there's no need to conduct an autopsy. Whether the culprit stabbed the victim multiple times or slit her throat, there's less chance that we will ever find out. Bruce deserves some credit for being creative."

"Loki!" I called him out. "Hindi ito ang oras para purihin mo ang kasuklam-suklam na ginawa ng isang kriminal! He killed his partner and let the fire burn her to crisp!"

"We will bring that man to justice," tugon niya. "Me complimenting his genius doesn't mean that I condone his crime. Let's start revealing the truth, shall we?"

Lumabas na kami ng Room 207. Pakiramdam ko, dumikit sa balat at damit namin ang amoy ng sunog. Nadumihan din ang mga malilinis naming damit, thanks to the ashes in the area.

Sinalubong kami ng fire marshall sa ground level. He looked curious about what we found out in the room where the fire started.

"The fire was not caused by carelessness," paliwanag ni Loki. "Someone set up the whole thing so he can erase any traces of his crime."

"Kumbinsido pa rin kayo na isa itong arson?" pagulat na tanong ng marshall. "Kung ganon, sinong nasa katinuan ang magsusunog ng isang building na may tatlong palapag?"

Ngumuso si Loki sa aming kanan. "The drama actor over there. The fire started in his unit. Isn't he fortunate that he wasn't in when blaze started engulfing their room?"

Nilapitan ng aking kasama si Bruno na nakaupo sa may sementadong sahig, tila tulala pa rin. If he's playing an act right now as a grieving man, I must say he's good at it. Teary eyed, sniffing every now and then, the look of sadness in his eyes and trace of melancholy in his face.

Loki leaned quickly to my ear and whispered, "I will deliver the first blow, you will follow up with another, okay?"

"I'm sorry for your loss, Bruce." Loki's monotonous voice didn't sound as if he's genuinely sorry about what happened. "So tell me, why did you kill your live-in partner?"

What the heck. You can't just go around asking why someone killed another human being!

"Ano?!" Kumunot ang noo ni Bruno at nagpukol ng hindi makapaniwalang tingin sa aking kasama. "Hindi ko alam kung anong isyu mo, brad, pero kaunting respeto naman para sa akin. Nagluluksa ako ngayon tapos magbibiro ka ng ganyan?"

"Let me take it from here," bulong ko kay Loki bago ko ibinaling ang aking tingin sa suspek. "Pagpasensyahan mo na ang kasama ko. Talagang walang preno ang bibig niya paminsan-minsan. Pwede ba naming malaman kung nasaan ka at kung bakit wala ka sa unit nang mangyari ang sunog?"

"Nakipag-party ako sa mga ka-brad ko sa may bar diyan sa Balibago," sagot ni Bruno. "Kung sanang alam ko lang na magkakasunog dito, hindi ko na sana iniwan si Pris! Nailigtas ko sana siya! Anong klaseng partner ako?"

"Someone who deserves an award for best acting?" Loki jested.

"Iniisip n'yo bang may kinalaman ako sa sunog? Kaya ba ganyan umasta ang boyfriend mo sa harapan ko, ha?"

"First of all, hindi ko siya boyfriend," I clarified before the idea is planted in his head. "Second, we are looking at all angles about the suspicious death of your partner."

"Suspicious!"

"The firemen found her corpse lying on a totally burned bed. Don't you find that suspicious?" Loki explained. "If she woke up and she tried to escape, sa ibang parte dapat ng unit n'yo makikita ang bangkay niya. If I were in her shoes, I would go near the windows and breathe in fresh air until the smoke suffocates me."

"Naisip namin na may dahilan kung bakit hindi siya makagalaw," dagdag ko. "Either nakatali siya sa kama o pinatay na siya bago pa man sumiklab ang apoy."

"And who among the tenants here could do either of the two to her? Using the process of elimination, only one name and face pops up. Yours, Bruce."

"Bruce ka nang Bruce e Bruno ang pangalan ko!" Nanlaki ang mga butas ng ilong ng suspek habang nagrereklamo. "At bakit ko naman papatayin ang live-in partner ko?"

"According to the landlady, you and Priscilla got into a quarrel recently," sagot ko. "Kung anuman ang pinag-awayan n'yo, posibleng 'yon ang motibo kung bakit pinatay mo siya at nagsimula ng sunog dito."

Paulit-ulit ang pag-iling ni Bruno, mukhang 'di siya basta-basta aamin sa krimeng ginawa niya. "Kayong dalawa na feeling detective, ang lalakas n'yong mambintang ng kung ano-ano. Sige! May ebidensya ba kayo na magpapatunay na ako nga ang pumatay sa kaniya?"

"You are nothing but a fool if you think you just committed a perfect crime," sagot ni Loki. "You might be thinking that you have weaved a perfect web, but there must be a loose thread somewhere. My partner and I are going to look for it."

"Tama na ang satsat, detective boy! Patunayan n'yo kung kaya n'yo!" nakangising hamon ni Bruno. I finally saw a crack in the mask he's been wearing since we first saw him.

If he really killed his live-in partner, he's messing with the wrong duo.

q.e.d.